About Us

Ian Allan Publishing is a dynamic family owned business with a long and rich history.

In 1942 the late Ian Allan published his first ground-breaking book – abc Southern Locomotives – and from this initial success a company was formed which became the world’s leading transport publisher. Ian Allan himself introducing the word ‘trainspotting’ and which became a hobby for hundreds of thousands of boys (and girls).

Today the company no longer produces transport titles but still publishes Masonic books and the quarterly magazine The Square under the Lewis Masonic imprint. Lewis Masonic is the oldest Masonic imprint in the world having been founded in 1886. The company has been part of the Ian Allan Group since 1973 and continues to be the largest supplier of Masonic ritual as well as maintaining its reputation for publishing top quality titles across the Masonic spectrum. You can always visit www.lewismasonic.co.uk to see the complete range of products.

The Ian Allan Book & Model Shops at Waterloo and Birmingham offer a wide range of transport and military books and magazine titles as well as an extensive range of model railway stock, military and aircraft models, videos and dvds.

This extensive range is also available through our retail arm – Ian Allan Direct – and we are delighted to welcome you to this website, which is a user-friendly showcase of the many outstanding products and services we can provide. Hours of fascinating browsing await you and when you want to make your purchase you can be assured of secure on-line ordering facilities and the very best in customer care.

We are constantly striving to develop and improve our website and we know the name ‘Ian Allan’ will mean many things to many people. Whether you have grown-up with us, or you are finding us for the first time, we would love to hear from you with any feedback or ideas you may have. You can also join us on Facebook to keep abreast of all the latest promotions.